General Cycling DiscussionHave a cycling related question or comment that doesn't fit in one of the other specialty forums? Drop on in and post in here! When possible, please select the forum above that most fits your post!

hello all------ bought a new trek 7300 and have a question for those more knowlegeable about these bikes than myself. paid good money for this bike and got the spec sheet out to familiarize myself with the components. the spec sheet by the way was printed off of the trek website.it states that this bike comes with "promax forged v w/alloy levers,kraton inserts,bell ". well i got no bell and the brakes my local bso put on this bike were " tectro ". did i get ripped off??? everything else seems to match the spec sheet. i have dealt with this dealer many times as i have bought five low end bikes for my kids. sure would hate for him to have done this to me or anyone else. please tell me i have nothing to worry about. thanks to all who reply.

Manufacturers sometimes substitute parts at the factory that are different from what the spec sheet says. I once bought a bike that had Shimano cranks from the factory even though the literature and the web site said it had Bontrager cranks.

Buying five bikes from the dealer means that you have a relationship with him. Call him and talk to him. The bike should definately have a bell included as this is state law in many places. A friend of mine bought a new 7200 two weeks ago, a was bell included. As for the other component differences don't jump to conclusions. Call trek and ask them. There should be a number to call in the owners manual you got with the bike. You did get an owners manual, right? That said it is, unfortunately, possible that the dealer swapped out parts. There is a local bike shop near me that is notorious for doing this. On the search for my friend's 7200 one bike shop told us the difference between the 7200 and the 7300 was that the 7200 did not include a suspension fork. The 7200 they had did not have a suspension fork. The 7200 she bought, from another shop, had a suspension fork. It had it because that's the way it's suppose to come. Again, outside of the bell, don't jump to conclusions. Bike companies change component packages all the time. They don't reprint their brocheres every time they make a change.

You should go back and ask for a bell. If it's a reputable store, they'll honor that request. Regarding the brakes, I think Berg was on the mark - just a substitution. And one of my bikes has Tektro brake calipers - they're just fine. I don't know which Tektro brakes you have, but they're probably fine too.

If the bike was spec'd with ProMax brakes and it came with Tektro, I'd be thanking the dealer if he did indeed swap them. More than likely TREK made a running change in their spec based on availability or a problem with the ProMax. Having had to deal with many ProMax linear pull (V Brakes), I would guess the problem was with the brakes, not availability. The bell, well, my experience is the OEM ones come out of the box broken half the time or will break soon after they are used. But you could bring it up to him.

The spec sheet for my bike said "Truvativ square drive cranks". The bike had Truvative Isis drive cranks (better cranks). The chainrings were supposed to be 42/52/62, The bike had one smaller than 42 (a 38 I think), a 52 and 62 tooth ring. I love the lower granny! It was a case where the manufacturer changed parts, and the changing of those parts were an upgrade and resulted in better performance for me.

On the search for my friend's 7200 one bike shop told us the difference between the 7200 and the 7300 was that the 7200 did not include a suspension fork. The 7200 they had did not have a suspension fork. The 7200 she bought, from another shop, had a suspension fork. It had it because that's the way it's suppose to come. Again, outside of the bell, don't jump to conclusions.

As you stated, people need to realize there is a line in every bicycle manufacturer's catalog that clearly states specifications are subject to change.

It's funny that you would suggest that the OP shouldn't jump to conclusions after accusing a shop of swapping out forks.
Aside from the fact that it makes absolutely no sense for a shop to do so (labor costs/shop time, plus the fact that there is zero demand for such a fork, among other reasons), there are two different versions of the 7200; one features a suspension fork while the other does not. Although the salesperson's statement was in error, you should heed your own advice and do a bit more research before accusing someone of wrongdoing.

Tektro is an upgrade...why is it not as spec'd? any number of reasons... perhaps a swap to replace levers damaged in shipping. Perhaps the spec'd bell was one that fit onto the Promax lever? In any case, just mention it, the LBS ought to throw one in for you as Trek will reimburse them for it. Enjoy the ride.

As you stated, people need to realize there is a line in every bicycle manufacturer's catalog that clearly states specifications are subject to change.

It's funny that you would suggest that the OP shouldn't jump to conclusions after accusing a shop of swapping out forks.
Aside from the fact that it makes absolutely no sense for a shop to do so (labor costs/shop time, plus the fact that there is zero demand for such a fork, among other reasons), there are two different versions of the 7200; one features a suspension fork while the other does not. Although the salesperson's statement was in error, you should heed your own advice and do a bit more research before accusing someone of wrongdoing.

Waldo, thanks for the slap down. The version of the bike my friend bought is THE ONE THAT COMES WITH THE SUSPENSION FORK! The shop did swap out the fork. I know it doesn't make any sense that they did it and told my friend so. But they did it and they tried to sell the bike that way. To make it worse their lowest price on the bike was $40 higher than what my friend paid at another shop for a properly equipped bike. And We weren't talking to an uninformed part time bike salesman. We were dealing with the shop's manager. Is that clear enough for you? That the shop did try to rip off my friend, OK with you that I call a thief a thief?

My Trek Navigator 300 was supposed to come with a bell too. When I asked the LBS about it, he said that he noticed that too and called Trek. There was not a bell included because with the type of shifters and indicators I got (SRAM 4.0 pro) there simply was no room for a bell. I wasn't going to let it bother me because me screaming in an emergency is louder than any darn bell available.

On another note, I noticed that the saddle on my GF Cake looked different from the picture in the sales catalog (same LBS). So I definitely squawked about that one. He looked at the catalog, looked at my bike, smiled and pointed out that during the mid year change, they had included this saddle with my bike (as he points to a bike 3 steps higher than mine) but if I want, he could put on one of those off-the-rack saddles that he was selling, no charge! Nahhh, I'll just keep my stock one (as I realize that the one's he was selling were lower grade).

Update------- OK- Now I feel realy bad about jumping to conclusions before getting all the facts. I took your advise and contacted Trek and spoke with a tech and he told me that the Tectro brakes were used on this bike and were an upgrade over the Promax. No bell comes with this setup. Its just that Iwas so pumped over my new bike and I did-not realize that it was common practice to swap out components at the plant.For '' The Fixer and Va Cyclist'' sorry I riled your feathers wanting a quick response.Folks,Im new here and dont claim to know everything but I am willing to share my experiences with you as best I can. NOW- this having been said i think i will go see the fella that sold me my bike and buy some accessories. THANKS ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE--- Ill TRY TO HAVE MORE! THANKS.

- don't feel bad... this wouldn't be a problem if the process of buying a bike were simple, components were clearly listed, etc...

- i found, through a simple test, whether or not an LBS was aiming to take advantage... walked in and asked for cushioned bar tape... i was then steered to the most expensive bar tape in the store, $29.95 IIRC (can't remember the brand)... i passed, but continued browsing and found what i was looking for at $9.95...

- the point is that good research and comparative shopping can reap benefits... for example, cinelli cork tape can be found locally with prices ranging from $19.95 to $9.99 at different stores!

Waldo, thanks for the slap down. The version of the bike my friend bought is THE ONE THAT COMES WITH THE SUSPENSION FORK! The shop did swap out the fork. I know it doesn't make any sense that they did it and told my friend so. But they did it and they tried to sell the bike that way. To make it worse their lowest price on the bike was $40 higher than what my friend paid at another shop for a properly equipped bike. And We weren't talking to an uninformed part time bike salesman. We were dealing with the shop's manager. Is that clear enough for you? That the shop did try to rip off my friend, OK with you that I call a thief a thief?

Wow, you need to try decaf. It's funny that people get so worked up over stuff on the internet. I'm still not buying your story. Have a nice day.